Latest news with #HB414
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Lawmakers override Gov. Beshear's abortion, maternal health veto
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — Kentucky lawmakers have voted to override Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of House Bill 90. The bill's supporters said it is meant to bring clarity to doctors now fearful of breaking Kentucky law for terminating pregnancies while treating expectant mothers experiencing complications. Kentucky governor vetoes GOP abortion bill, says it undermines doctors and endangers pregnant women 'Although supporters of House Bill 90 claim it protects pregnant women and clarifies abortion law in Kentucky, it actually does the opposite,' Beshear said in his veto message. Beshear said the bill would restrict health care and put the lives of women with high-risk pregnancies on the line. 'House Bill 90 addresses the critical need to improve maternal health and access to maternal health care within our Commonwealth, including establishing a framework for the introduction of freestanding birthing centers, as well as clarifying existing abortion laws by providing clearer guidelines for doctors treating complex pregnancies. It was crafted with the participation of multiple stakeholders—including physicians who provide obstetric and gynecological care to Kentucky women each and every day,' Representative Jason Nemes, the sponsor of HB 90 said. The bill saw a last-minute addition before heading to the governor's desk. It initially aimed to create a framework for freestanding birthing centers in the Commonwealth, something many patients have crossed the Ohio River to obtain. Louisville man accused of trafficking over 4 pounds of meth on I-64 in Midway Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear displays his colors in veto fights with Republican lawmakers Where is the top-rated seafood restaurant in Kentucky? Yelp has the answer 'Unfortunately, at the 11th hour, lawmakers attached HB 414 to the bill,' Angela Cooper, ACLU Kentucky, wrote. Specifically, the bill noted that termination of a pregnancy complicated 'by a fetal anomaly' or 'the result of rape or incest' doesn't constitute an 'unlawful abortion.' However, it will ensure pregnant women experiencing a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, or other life-threatening complications can receive care. 'It's also a continuing process, and we are committed to having those continued conversations, but I don't want to mislead anybody. Kentucky is a pro-life state, and it will stay such. But if we have to do things to continue to improve the lives of pregnant women in danger and to help doctors, we are committed to doing that,' Rep. Nemes said. 'I'm proud of this. Some people say I'm more devastated than this than they've ever been. I'm prouder now, in this moment when I'm standing out here than I've ever been, because this will save lives.' Read more of the latest news in politics The bill passed in the House 74–17 before being sent to the governor's desk. Beshear's veto is now nullified, paving the way for HB 90 to become Kentucky law. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kentucky birthing center bill advances to Beshear's desk, but with last-minute addition
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — A bill that aims to provide expecting mothers more options for delivery saw a last-minute addition. House Bill 90 focused on paving the way for freestanding birthing centers in the Commonwealth, something many patients have crossed the Ohio River to obtain. The bill, which has bipartisan support, passed the House on Thursday morning, but not without receiving a last-minute addition. Eubank man accused in 2 rape cases involving missing girl claims he's the victim Kentucky birthing center bill advances to Beshear's desk, but with last-minute addition West Liberty man charged with rape, incest of 2 underage girls 'Unfortunately, at the 11th hour, lawmakers attached HB 414 to the bill,' Angela Cooper, ACLU Kentucky, wrote. House Bill 414 focuses on perinatal palliative care, an approach to maximize the quality of life and comfort for a newborn with a variety of life-threatening conditions. The bill outlines raised exceptions to the Kentucky abortion ban, providing a guideline for medical providers. Specifically, the bill noted that termination of a pregnancy complicated 'by a fetal anomaly' or 'the result of rape or incest' doesn't constitute an 'unlawful abortion.' 'The latest iteration of House Bill 414 indicates the Kentucky General Assembly recognizes that when people experience pregnancy complications that put their lives at risk, they should receive appropriate medical care,' Amber Duke, executive director of the ACLU Kentucky, said. 'However, this bill does nothing to restore the right to abortion in the Commonwealth. We will continue to fight to ensure that all Kentuckians, regardless of their circumstances, will be able to receive the abortion care that they need.' 'Make no mistake: Kentucky's existing ban will remain firmly in place, and these so-called 'exceptions' do nothing to mitigate the chilling effect that drives providers out of the state—or forces them into fear of prosecution for delivering what should be basic health care,' Planned Parenthood said in reaction to the passage of HB 90. Trump threatens 200% tariff on European wine Oversight Democrats launch review of crypto reserve 'poised to enrich' Trump Kentucky birthing center bill advances to Beshear's desk, but with last-minute addition The bill's sponsor, Rep. Jason Nemes (R) of Louisville, argued that the legislation would save lives, not put them at risk. 'It's also a continuing process, and we are committed to having those continued conversations, but I don't want to mislead anybody. Kentucky is a pro-life state, and it will stay such. But if we have to do things to continue to improve the lives of pregnant women in danger and to help doctors, we are committed to doing that,' Rep. Nemes said. 'I'm proud of this. Some people say I'm more devastated than this than they've ever been. I'm prouder now, in this moment when I'm standing out here than I've ever been, because this will save lives.' HB 90 passed in the House 74–17 and is headed to Gov. Andy Beshear's desk. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
GOP lawmakers seek to clarify KY abortion ban decried as ‘cruel, medically dangerous'
Doctors and medical students with Kentucky Physicians for Reproductive Freedom gather at the Kentucky Capitol to advocate for a full restoration of abortion access, March 12, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) FRANKFORT — With four days left in the 2025 legislative session, House Republicans moved to clarify Kentucky's abortion law and reassure health care providers that they are free to treat complex pregnancies. House Bill 414 originally required insurance coverage for and referrals to perinatal palliative care programs in cases when newborn babies are unlikely to live long. It was amended to add clarifying language on Kentucky's near-total abortion ban. In its current form, which passed out of the House Health Services Committee Wednesday along party lines, the bill states that 'there is a need to clarify the distinction between an elective abortion and illegal termination of the life of an unborn child protected under Kentucky law and medically necessary interventions that affirm the fundamental right to life.' Democrats voted against the bill, arguing it didn't go far enough and further 'muddies the waters' for medical providers. 'If I thought this was the fix, even though it doesn't go as far as I would like it to go … I would so happily vote for it,' said Rep. Lisa Willner, D-Louisville. 'I'm not convinced. Having not heard from hospital attorneys, I'm not convinced that this protects doctors, and I'm sure that it does not protect pregnant people.' The proposed clarification comes in response to reports from across the country, including in Kentucky, of women who say they were denied access to medication to treat miscarriages and other complications because of state abortion bans, leading in some cases to preventable deaths. Kentucky OB-GYNs have said the state's abortion ban is forcing them to violate their oath as physicians and causing 'devastating consequences' for patients. Also on Wednesday, doctors and medical students with Kentucky Physicians for Reproductive Freedom came to Frankfort to advocate for a full restoration of abortion access. They brought with them a letter signed by more than 400 health care providers asking the legislature to repeal its ban on abortion. Dr. Nicole King told her fellow physicians gathered in the Capitol annex that they are 'stuck between doing what is right and doing what is legal.' A military veteran and anesthesiologist with high-risk obstetrical experience, King said Kentucky's law is 'not just cruel, it is medically dangerous.' 'Delayed care increases the risk of severe blood loss, uterine infection, multi organ failure and death,' King said. 'We must continue to fight, not just for the patients who are able to speak out, but for the countless others suffering in silence, trapped by unjust laws.' In the committee, Majority Whip Jason Nemes, R-Middletown, said the proposed reassurances for medical providers in HB 414 'will save lives' and acknowledged the bill is a compromise for many. 'I know that some people want elective abortions,' said Nemes, who in 2023 attempted to add exceptions for rape and incest to the ban. But he said restoring abortion rights is not politically feasible in the Kentucky legislature. 'There's a baby involved, and that's not going to pass this General Assembly.' Dr. Jeffrey M. Goldberg, the legislative advocacy chair for the Kentucky chapter of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), testified in support of the new version of HB 414 over Zoom. While he reiterated the language in HB 414 isn't perfect, 'current statute has a tremendous amount of ambiguity' and needs updating, he said. 'We're all in agreement that the current situation for caring for women in the commonwealth who have complications of pregnancy is in a terrible state,' he said. 'While it may not have been the intention of the legislature — when writing laws either restricting elective abortion when it was still legal or subsequently making it against the law — to make it difficult to properly care for women who have pregnancy complications that have nothing to do with elective abortion, nonetheless, that has been the outcome.' Sponsor Rep. Nancy Tate, R-Brandenburg, said the latest version 'gives us the opportunity to provide additional care for women and their families in the event that they have a pregnancy that turns out to be not exactly perfect.' Addressing several Democratic lawmakers who questioned the language in the bill, Goldberg said, 'We already work within statutory restrictions that are, from a medical perspective, very ambiguous.' 'There's a great deal of work to be done. This is not perfect. I don't want to give anybody the illusion that we all think this is great,' he said. 'We think it's an acceptable short term solution for dealing with a really serious problem that's in front of us.' There isn't much time for it to pass. Wednesday marked the 26th day of the 30-day session. Lawmakers break Friday for a veto period, then return on March 27-28 to override vetos. In order to be veto-proof, the bill would need to clear the House, a Senate committee and the full Senate in two days' time. Tate's HB 414, as amended in committee, proposes striking several phrases from abortion law. For example, it would replace the 'no abortion shall be performed' with'no action that requires separating a pregnant woman from her unborn child shall be performed, except the following when performed by a physician based upon his or her reasonable medical judgment.' Those exceptions are laid out to include: Lifesaving miscarriage management, which includes medically necessary interventions when the pregnancy has ended or is in the unavoidable and untreatable process of ending due to spontaneous or incomplete miscarriage. Sepsis and hemorrhage emergency medical interventions required when a miscarriage or impending miscarriage results in a life-threatening infection or excessive bleeding. The removal of a molar pregnancy. The removal of an ectopic pregnancy or a pregnancy that is not implanted normally within the endometrial cavity. And more. The bill still directs medical professionals to 'make reasonable medical efforts under the circumstances to preserve both the life of the mother and the life of the unborn child.' Addia Wuchner, the executive director of Kentucky Right to Life, said that 'although we've always said that current model does not restrict medical care for miscarriage management, ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, sepsis (and) hemorrhage,' the bill is to address confusion around these conditions. Committee chair Kim Moser, R-Taylor Mill, agreed. 'This is a step in the right direction for medical clarity,' she said. After the committee's discussion of Tate's bill, 19 members of Kentucky Physicians for Reproductive Freedom gathered in the Capitol Annex and lamented the state's 'extreme' stance on abortion. Among them was Dr. Janet Wygal, a Kentucky OB-GYN. 'No physician should be forced to wait until a woman becomes seriously ill to intervene with basic necessary health care because the government says so,' Wygal said. 'These laws create an environment of fear and uncertainty, not only for doctors and their patients seeking abortion care, but also for those needing the full spectrum of health care, including IVF, contraception and cancer screenings.' In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that established abortion as a constitutional right, allowing an abortion ban to immediately take effect in Kentucky. It includes exceptions only for rare and life-threatening situations. Lawmakers of both parties and organizations have attempted to loosen or undo Kentucky's abortion bans, to no avail. In 2022, Kentucky voters defeated the anti-abortion Amendment 2, which would have specified there's no right to an abortion in Kentucky's Constitution. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
